Anisul Haq Road in Tejgaon was designed as a 100-foot-wide industrial artery, linking factories, warehouses and offices to the rest of Dhaka. On paper, it could accommodate the daily crush of workers, rickshaws and heavy vehicles. In reality, nearly three-quarters of its width is occupied by parked trucks, making the road a slow, congested stretch.
Rows of trucks, covered vans, and pickups line both sides of the road, their steel frames forming a wall of immobility. Footpaths have been consumed by parked vehicles. Pedestrians now squeeze between bumpers or risk stepping into the chaotic flow of traffic. The root cause is the limited capacity of the designated truck stand on Anisul Haq Road, built for only 700-800 vehicles, while nearly 4,000 trucks use it.
A pedestrian, Al Mahmud Apu, 26, says, “Travelling on this road is very difficult for us. The iron railing that used to separate the rickshaw lane is no longer there. Because trucks are parked haphazardly along the lane, sometimes their rear ends extend all the way onto the footpath. As a result, rickshaws can’t pass and neither can the pedestrians.”
The consequences are immediate and punishing. A single truck shifting out of line can paralyse the entire corridor. For many, a short commute to Tejgaon stretches into an hours-long ordeal. In fact, traffic congestion across Dhaka costs over 8 million working hours each day, translating to an economic loss of roughly Tk 140 crore daily.
“Sometimes we get stuck in difficult situations. This often makes us late for the office, and occasionally I get scolded by my boss. On the way home after work, we have to sit in traffic jams for hours,” Apu adds.
City officials acknowledge the road’s condition, but meaningful action has been fleeting. A decade ago, a major clearance drive temporarily restored traffic flow. The relief lasted only weeks. Without enforcement and alternative parking, trucks quickly reclaimed the space. Plans for a multi-storey truck terminal remain shelved, leaving this vital industrial artery under permanent occupation.
After dark, residents say the dangers multiply. The narrow gaps between parked vehicles become hidden corners for drug use and petty crime. Women walking home from factory jobs often avoid the street altogether, fearing harassment in the shadows cast by the trucks.
Dhaka’s leaders promised that Anisul Haq Road would symbolise a planned city. Instead, it has become a testament to neglect. A 100-foot-wide street reduced to a suffocating alley, where commerce, safety and dignity are all forced to fight for space.
